On a Baltic cruise some years ago, the ship had pancakes at breakfast. They looked great. I should have asked what was in them, but didn’t.
It took just one bite to know they were banana pancakes. I shot like a rocket to my stateroom to get my allergy medication. Bananas are one of my worst allergies. By the time I reached the stateroom, I was already itching uncontrollably and had hives over much of my body. It took hours for the medication to take full effect.
From that moment on, I’ve never assumed what’s in the food I was ordering, purchasing or eating.
Traveling with dietary restrictions is far from impossible, but it takes planning, effort and communication, especially when traveling internationally. Here are a dozen tips to help you.
• Advance Planning — You’ve got to research in detail each destination you plan to visit. The cultures and customs you encounter may bring you your greatest dietary challenges. If you’re a vegan, visiting many locales in South America will be difficult, but in India, you’ll likely have few problems.
Travel outfitters can be enormously helpful. They can often assist you in making specific arrangements to meet your dietary needs. There are also companies which specialize in trips for those who have dietary restrictions. They can set up Kosher, Halal, vegan, gluten-free, etc. eating. Cruise lines will work with you to adhere to your diet. They have with me.
If you’re allergic to nuts, a problem for fliers, check airline policy before you purchase your tickets.
Get health information about your destination. Great resources are the US State Department Country Specific Information and CDC. In addition, the US State Department can help you find doctors or hospitals abroad and air ambulance and medical evacuation companies.
Make sure your medical records are available in case of an emergency. Services like MedicAlert can help you with that and can help your emergency facility speak with your doctor at home.
• Get a place in which you can cook — Rather than booking a hotel, consider renting an apartment or using a home exchange so you can cook your own meals. Bed and Breakfasts are typically very accommodating of travelers’ diets.
• Medical Insurance — In case of problems, make sure you have adequate medical insurance, especially if traveling abroad.
• Contact your airline for a special meal — Order special meals from your airlines to meet your allergy needs well in advance of your flights.
• Know your medications — Know the generic and brand names of your medications at your destinations if traveling internationally. They are likely different than you’re familiar with at home. Take your medications in their original containers to help physicians know what they are, and pharmacists refill them if necessary during your trip. Always have your medications available, so never pack them in your checked luggage.
• Sanitary wipes — For contact allergies, such as nuts, pack sanitary wipes to clean tray tables, arm rests and other surfaces on trains, planes, and buses. Use them immediately after you sit down.
• Translation Cards — Either make your own, or purchase translation cards for doctors and restaurants when traveling internationally to make it clear what drug and food allergies you have. For example, MSG, to which many are allergic, is simply Food Additive 621 in Europe, or Ajinomoto in Japan. Cards for specific allergens such as peanuts, fish and wheat should contain details for restaurants on what foods may contain them. AllergyTranslation and SelectWisely make excellent allergy translation cards.
• Hotel Concierge — If staying in a hotel, use the concierge to find suitable restaurants for meals, and tell you where you can purchase acceptable snacks.
• Always ask — If in a restaurant, or purchasing cooked or otherwise prepared food, don’t hesitate for a moment to find out each and every ingredient in the food. If the person you ask hesitates before answering, ask for a confirmation.
• Bring snacks from home — I bring plenty of prepackaged, nutritious snacks from home for as much of the trip as possible, so I’m sure they only contain ingredients I can eat. I also bring a good-sized, strong canvas bag for the road to hold food staples I bring or purchase, plus plenty of “baggies” to stow food while on the go.
• Bring lunch — If you’re going to be on the road during the day and aren’t sure where you’ll be able to eat, make lunch yourself, or if in a hotel, have them prepare it for you with foods you can eat.
Extra Tip: If you purchase food while traveling, remember the mantra that everyone away from home should remember, “Cook it, wash it, peel it or forget it.”
• Learn key destination language phrases — It’s essential, if at all possible, for travelers with allergies serious enough to halt their trip or hospitalize them, to learn enough of their destinations’ languages to stay safe. Smartphone foreign language apps can be very helpful when attempting to communicate about your allergies.
(Image: Come on in. Eat. Drink. Copyright © 2015 NSL Photography. All Rights Reserved.)
After many years working in corporate America as a chemical engineer, executive and eventually CFO of a multinational manufacturer, Ned founded a tech consulting company and later restarted NSL Photography, his photography business. Before entering the corporate world, Ned worked as a Public Health Engineer for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. As a well known corporate, travel and wildlife photographer, Ned travels the world writing about travel and photography, as well as running photography workshops, seminars and photowalks. Visit Ned’s Photography Blog and Galleries.
